Magic Side: Wolf Bound Complete Series: Books 1-4, page 116
But she wasn’t devoured. I was filled.
Her spirit flowed back into our body, and a divine lightness spread through my limbs.
And suddenly, all the shadows were gone, and I was standing there alone on the shore of the lake.
“Wolfie?” I asked, chest heaving from exertion.
Holy shit, it worked! she exclaimed from that comfortable spot at the back of my mind.
I blinked. “You’re surprised? You sound really surprised.”
Wolfie hesitated for a second. Okay, confession: I thought I was probably stuck forever as some sort of weird shadow wolf, and I was going to be okay with it, because at least we would be together, but hell, this is so much better.
“It is.”
Great. Priorities. Rinse off, because you’re covered head to toe in mud, and I don’t want it in my fur. Then get your stuff, and let’s shift. It’s time to get the rest of my soul back.
40
Jaxson
Savannah’s howl ripped through my chest, and every fiber in my body screamed for me to run to her, to comfort her, to heal her wounds. “Let me go!” I growled, but the ghost of my sister held me back, gently but firmly.
“She must free her wolf alone. You cannot do this for her,” my sister whispered.
It was true, but how could I sit there while my mate was in pain?
With a snarl, I turned and walked in the other direction, trying to block out the soft, undecipherable sobs filtering through the woods. I rammed my fist into a tree just to feel my knuckles break. Just to have something—the pain—to concentrate on other than my mate’s cries.
Too quickly, endorphins cut in, and the bones began to knit. I pulled my hand back to strike again, but Stephanie grasped my wrist.
“I know what it’s like, Jaxson,” she whispered in my ear.
Bitterness tore at me. She and Billy had been so happy. Back when she was alive, he’d been brave and fierce. Before the grief had torn him apart and filled the cracks with hate and bitterness before the drink took him.
I understood his pain better now, how different it had been even from my own. If anything happened to Savannah, I would burn the world down.
“You truly care for her,” my sister said.
I pulled my hand from her grasp. “Of course I do. She’s my mate. Her pain is my pain, and being apart is like suffocation.”
She gave me a knowing smile that made my blood boil. “It’s more than being fated mates. I see it—you can barely take your eyes off her, and you watch her every moment. Wait for every word. Even if you weren’t fated, I don’t think you would have escaped her spell.”
I rubbed my throbbing fist. It was true. I was fucking bewitched, and I loved it.
Loved her.
Would I ever have the chance to truly love her or know her? We were in the Deadlands, and the way things were going, it was very likely we would be reunited here soon.
She’d gotten a raw deal, but if the fates were kind, I could show her a better life in Magic Side. One without fear and constant running. One where she could trust the pack and learn our traditions. One where I could learn every detail about her past and dreams and desires, and make them all come true.
What would life be like without this blade at our throats?
Bitterness stabbed my chest. “I wish you could have known her, Steph. She’s fierce like you. Loyal. Dedicated. I don’t think there’s a thing in this world that could stand in her way.”
The faintest of smiles graced my sister’s face. “I can tell.”
I shook my head. “You can’t. There’s no way. She can be so hard and strong, it’s blinding, but there’s so much more.” I sighed and scrubbed a hand through my hair. “I wish I could explain the way she sees the world. The first time I picked up one of her sketches, it was stunning. The lines were charcoal black and bold and angry, but together, they made the softest shades. It was like she was only drawing shadows, but those shadows made the light leap off the page.”
Pausing to look up at my sister, I let the heaviness in my heart harden the corners of my mouth. “If she drew me, I wonder what she would see. Would I recognize the man in the picture?”
Stephanie crossed her arms. “I imagine she sees you better than you see yourself.”
I grunted. “I don’t see her clearly at all, but I want to. I want to know her when she’s not running, not frightened, not trying to fight the world. There have been a few moments we’ve stolen, but not enough. And now, I don’t know that we’ll have many more together.”
“She’s fierce, but she’s relying on you to believe in that future, Jaxson. That there is a future.”
“It’s hard,” I whispered, though I would never have admitted it to anyone else.
She rested her hand on my back. “Then do the hard thing. Believe it’s possible.”
I looked back at the ghost wolf alpha, waiting patiently at the far edge of the clearing, watching for movement in the trees down by the lake.
Suddenly aware of the silence, I followed his gaze. Something moved at the edge of the trees. Savannah?
My heart raced.
She emerged into the clearing, naked and human, her red hair dark and dripping with water.
She was human, not a wolf. A weight descended in my chest. Had she failed? The howl—I was certain she must have broken the spell. But had her wolf somehow rejected her?
With a furious gesture, Savy tossed a bundle of clothes at the base of a tall tree and strode up the hill.
“She is beautiful,” my sister whispered.
“Yeah,” I replied absently, my mouth dry with anticipation. Yet instead of coming toward me, Savy made a beeline toward the ghost wolf alpha. I recognized the expression on her face all too well—trouble.
Godsdammit.
When she was angry, she had no fear, not of gods or monsters or the dead.
I moved to intercept, but before I could, she shouted at the alpha. “You want to talk to my wolf? Here she is!”
One step, she was human, and the next, she was a gorgeous, red-tinged wolf—a shift so fluid and fast, it was like cracking a whip.
My breath caught, and I stumbled to a halt. She’d never transformed so effortlessly before. Always, it had been pain and contortion and a struggle.
My momentary hesitation was all Savannah needed to close the distance to the alpha. She wasn’t much taller than his knee, barely a mouthful.
She rammed her paws into the dirt, as he had done before her, and snarled. You will lead me to my shard. Now.
For a second, the massive white wolf paused, and then he snapped his jaws at her. You dare make demands of me?
My mate deftly spun out of the way, faster than I’d ever seen her move—a blur, almost a shadow. She was behind him before the giant wolf could spin around.
Then she bit him.
Oh, fuck.
In a heartbeat, fur erupted from my arms and claws from my hands, and I was sprinting to get between them.
Savannah snarled and flashed through his legs, leaving a streak of blood on white fur. You made my human grovel. Beg. And yet, you didn’t listen. You called her a monster.
I tried to shield Savy. “Stop this!”
The alpha swung around, and his jaws nearly grazed her, but she was gone, almost like smoke.
Was she smoke?
She was not worthy of a wolf, the ghost wolf alpha roared.
Savannah flipped around to face him. She’s the only one worthy of me. Release the shard of my soul. We may be part of your pack one day, but she is mine for now.
The alpha lunged at her, but she was already gone. He snarled. I could make you part of my pack with one bite, little red wolf.
Now to his left, Savy’s eyes went bright blue, and magic crackled like lightning around her. I think not. We begged before, and you rebuked us. Now we’re demanding. Release my shard. Take me to her.
I swung to the massive white wolf’s flank. “We had a deal, Alpha. A city is at stake. Lead us into your lands.”
My sister appeared at my side, in wolf form now as well. Please, great alpha, honor our bargain!
The white wolf looked at all three of us, then back at Savannah, and gave an amused huff. How did your human ever chain a creature as fierce as you?
Savannah’s wolf eased her posture slightly, and the crackling magic around her faded to smoke. In the end, I let her. It was the right thing to do.
The ghost wolf studied Savannah for a long time, his aggression naked. But finally, he nodded and looked off into the trees. A path through the mist began to form. I will take you to your shard, but be warned: I do not think she will agree to leave. She is with her mother.
41
Savannah
My heart skipped a beat.
Our mother was here, and the shard of our soul was with her.
Every emotion I had rushed into my mind, from elation to regret. After all this time, would I have a chance to see her again? To speak to her? What would she think of me? Would she be miserable in this place? Would my shard refuse to leave her side?
The loremaster’s warnings about the underworlds came rushing back: Those who enter are always seduced to stay. Everything in the Deadlands is a trap designed to keep you there. No matter how well-meaning your sister is, all ghosts call to the living to join them forever.
The world seemed to shift and flow beneath my paws, and I stumbled slightly, but Jaxson stepped instantly to my side. “Easy there, beautiful wolf.”
He reached out tentatively, then ran his fingers through my fur. Tingles rushed along my spine, electric, like I’d never experienced before. Wolfie and I absolutely melted beneath his touch.
God, it’s good to be back, Wolfie purred in my mind. If only we were alone.
We were most definitely not alone. The ghost wolf alpha’s glare was like the sun searing the back of my neck.
Sudden shyness overcame me, and with a sorrowful pang of regret, I slipped away from Jaxson’s touch and pawed the earth. Let’s run together.
He gave me a knowing smile, then quickly removed the last of his clothes and placed them in a neat bundle beside a fallen log.
I glanced back toward the lake. I’d dumped my clothes dramatically at the base of a random tree. It wasn’t much different than how I’d been living at Jaxson’s penthouse.
I hope nobody steals my boots, I muttered to Wolfie.
Do you know how bad those things smell? One of those strange cats lurking in the forest is more likely to come along and try to bury them, Wolfie teased. I can’t believe you actually offered them to the Moon. You were lucky we didn’t get kicked out of the temple right there.
Yup. My sassy wolf was back, and my heart was full. Between her and Jaxson, I knew I could get through this.
I tried not to look at the sexy naked man striding back toward me and did my best to rein in my sudden upwelling of desire, as my scent would betray me in an instant. Jaxson shifted swiftly and landed on all fours beside me—a massive wolf, though definitely not the size of the white monster.
Jaxson cocked his head in challenge. Can you still run? You’re out of practice.
I gave our fur a shake. I’ve been a wolf for a month, and I’m just as fast as you are. You don’t want to see how fast I’m going to be once I get some real practice in.
He grinned, and I caught a scent of approval. Damn, it was good to have my wolf senses again.
As soon as Stephanie trotted up beside us, the ghost wolf alpha turned to face the path he’d created through the mist. Follow.
With no more warning, he began to run, and we chased after.
I let Wolfie drive—or, more accurately, I didn’t challenge her for the job.
The trees flashed by as we settled into a steady pace. My muscles rejoiced at running. It had felt like a lifetime since we’d run free like this. Something had been wrong, even when Wolfie was unbound before.
As I let go, I slipped down deeper into my wolf. She was in control, but somehow, I was there in every movement with her.
Everything feels different, I thought to Wolfie as we raced along the pine needle–strewn trail.
Something’s changed, she replied. I feel it, too. Maybe not all the bonds were broken before—the ones your aunt and father created. Maybe when you cast your unbinding spell this time around, the old bonds shattered as well as the new.
Was that true?
It had certainly taken all my strength to break her free, and I’d felt like we were fighting against so much more than my own spell. And something about our union was definitely different.
Maybe it was my perspective. In retrospect, something had felt restrained about our relationship. I’d always assumed that something was just wrong about Wolfie and me, and that somehow, over time, I’d become one with my wolf, like Jaxson and his were.
But that wasn’t my fate—I understood that now. I shared a body with another soul. We would never be one, but we’d never be separate.
I didn’t need to learn to control my wolf. I needed to learn when to let go and how to listen, how to lead and follow, how to become one in the dance, because we would always be two souls together.
We didn’t have to be like everybody else. We could be something more.
Wolfie glanced at Jaxson running beside us, perfectly in sync. There was an unspoken question in her look that I thought I understood.
What about him?
The fates had paired us together, just as they’d paired Wolfie and me. Could Jaxson and I learn the dance as well?
I knew for certain now that I needed him just as much as I needed her. I’d railed against our mate bond at first, but I didn’t want to fight anymore. I loved that bond, cherished it.
I knew that just as I had embraced my wolf, it was time to embrace what we were: fated mates.
What would happen if I truly gave into the emotions we shared? To let my fear of our bond go? To embrace it, to nourish it, to let myself sink deeper in love with him?
As we ran, wolves I didn’t recognize filtered in from the trees around us. The alpha’s sentries?
Something was strange about them. For a while, I couldn’t figure out what it was, but as we emerged from the land of mist and gray skies I finally understood: light was shining through their bodies.
They weren’t translucent like the ghosts I’d seen before, but they weren’t quite solid. I glanced at Stephanie. She was the same.
Ghost wolves.
Their numbers grew as we ran. They gave us no heed, and the alpha didn’t slow, so we just kept running.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off Jaxson. The way he moved was so powerful and graceful that it left me mesmerized. And I could feel his joy at running with Stephanie again. Elation. A connection lost, restored—if even for a moment.
Would I be able to run like this with my mother? What about my father? What had happened to him? Could they be together?
A glance from Stephanie drove the fears from my mind. While normally placid, her eyes were overflowing with joy. Run, she said. Savor this moment.
So I ran, treasuring the beauty and flow of it.
Soon, we joined with more wolves, maybe thirty or forty. One of the ghost packs. My chest tightened as if something was pulling on it.
The shard of my soul.
She’s here, I can feel it, I said to my wolf.
Me, too. Wolfie broke away from Jaxson and Stephanie and began desperately searching among the runners. I had to weave and dodge, but it was much calmer than our race through Magic Side had been.
I’m not going to jump into any water, Wolfie said. Hope you’re not disappointed.
Yeah, yeah, smartass. Lesson learned.
The wolves paid us no attention, just kept their eyes forward, lost in the rhythm of their pace.
At first, there were too many unfamiliar faces, but then I spotted her. I could feel the tug of our souls guiding me forward, but I knew her in an instant. She was a mirror, our twin—yet also far more translucent than the other wolves.
She’s only a shard of our soul, Wolfie noted.
My shard looked over her shoulder, and then, with a start, she veered off into the crush of wolves. We pursued, but she was just as fast.
Finally, she broke off from the pack and dashed up a small tree-covered slope, where she stopped and looked back.
I followed but halted ten paces away. My shard was wary and started pacing back and forth with her hackles raised. Who are you?
Wolfie piped up in my head: Okay, you have to explain this one.
Trepidation wrapped around me. I hadn’t really thought through what I was going to say. I tentatively took a step forward and bowed my head. I’m you. The part that’s still alive. I’ve come to bring you home.
She backpedaled slightly, sniffing the air. I can smell that you’re not of this place, but how is that possible?
I deferred my gaze slightly so as not to threaten her. Kahanov cut us with the Soul Knife. You died, but we were left alive.
My shard gaped at us. I can smell…truth. She began to look a little woozy. I remember…oh, fuck my life. Or death. Or just…fuck it.
Yup, if I’d had any doubts, that was definitely our soul.
The shard cautiously approached, sniffing the air. Kahanov was the last thing I remember. I was fighting him in the Dreamlands. I thought I’d lost. That I’d failed.
There was so much pain in her voice, my heart bent beneath the strain. What would it have been like to die believing that you’d failed? With my head lowered, I began moving to meet her. We won. We killed the bastard.
A familiar light twinkled in her eyes. Hell, yes. He was a bastard.
I paused, not wanting to spook her. Actually, he was being possessed by a ghost—a sorcerer named Victor Dragan. We killed him, too, but that took a little longer.
Mirroring me, she also paused and cocked her head to the side. You’ve—er, we’ve been busy, it seems.
I nodded. There’s a lot to catch you up on, and we’re not out of the woods yet. That’s why I need you to rejoin us, to come back to Magic Side.
